CUPE MANITOBA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

WINNIPEG – The Canadian Union of Public Employees is joining with a variety of Manitoba community and grassroots organizations in celebrating International Women’s Day.

However, while celebrating the labour movement’s contributions to advancing the rights of women in Canada, the wage gap between men and women as well as the underfunding of services for women and families continues to affect thousands of Manitobans.

Last December CUPE Manitoba met with the Manitoba Minister Responsible for the Status of Women to present a brief on Pay Equity in the province. This brief highlighted the fact that while NDP governments in Manitoba have taken important steps over the years to try to deal with the problems of wage discrimination faced by women in the workplace, currently Manitoba does not have any type of proactive pay equity legislation.

“Although the percentage of women working in Manitoba is one of the highest in the country, the wage gap between men and women still persists” states Maureen Morrison, Equality Representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, “Women working full-time for a full year in Manitoba earn only 72% of what men working full-time for a full year earn.”

“We are asking the Manitoba Government to implement pay equity legislation to cover the social services and child care sectors as a means of reducing the wage gap for our members and others working in these jobs” states Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba “the time to support women is now, and we cannot afford to continue underpaying these important and vital jobs.”

International Women’s Day events are scheduled throughout Friday, March 8th, including a rally beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Union Centre, 275 Broadway.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union representing more than a half-million members. In Manitoba, CUPE represents 27,000 members, including approximately 1,500 members working in the social services and child care sectors in communities throughout the province.